Why doesn’t my garage door remote work?

Feb 13, 2019

Why doesn’t my garage door remote work?

While a non-functioning garage door can be caused by any number of issues, not all of them require a qualified technician’s expert skills. Sometimes there’s a simple fix that you can take on yourself. Technician Bryan Broberg, a 12-year veteran of Reliable Garage Door, offered these possible reasons your remote may not be working, as well as some troubleshooting tips on how to check for yourself.

Battery is dead

A dead battery is one of the most common reasons for a garage door remote to fail, especially during cold weather when batteries drain faster. Thankfully, it’s also the easiest problem to fix. Just pop open the battery compartment and put in a fresh battery. Also, make sure the node connecting to the battery is clean so your connection doesn’t cut out. A little rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip will work great. Hopefully that does the trick. If not, try some of these other troubleshooting tips.

Sensors are out of line

Garage doors rely on infrared safety sensors to ensure the door doesn’t close on people, pets or objects. When a sensor is blocked or out of alignment and you push your remote’s button, the door will start to go down, but very quickly stop and reverse. Even though this isn’t a problem with the remote itself, it’s important to mention because misaligned sensors are one of the most common issues that give our customers trouble.

Safety sensors are located on both sides of the track near the bottom of the door. Make sure these sensors are in alignment to keep your door operating properly.

Wall button is locked

Some newer garage door wall buttons have a “lock” feature that allows you to temporarily block the signal so you don’t accidentally open the door as you’re trying to pack everything in for a weekend trip to the North Shore. If your wall button has this feature, make sure it’s unlocked before taking more drastic steps. Look for the lock icon or check your owner’s manual for more information about your particular wall button.

Remote is fine, it’s something else

Just because your garage door isn’t moving doesn’t mean the remote is the problem. The signal could be reaching the receiver just fine, but there may be a problem with the track or the door itself. Look for things blocking the track, worn cables, broken springs or other telltale signs of problems. But be careful. Garage doors are heavy and the mechanisms can be dangerous. If something looks broken and you’re unsure of what to do, Bryan and the other local experts at Reliable Garage Door would be happy to help out. We can handle any project — from a simple repair to installing a completely new garage door system — so you can avoid the hassle and get back to life as normal.

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